Leader of GOP group quits rather than vote for party's candidate

Hillary Shepheard, the chair of the Young Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas, resigned after being quoted in The Atlantic about her plans for the general election.

Shepheard made clear in that article that she will leave her ballot card blank rather than vote for scandal-plagued Republican Ken Paxton for the Senate, and will also vote for Democrat James Rosenthal over Republican Bo French in the Railroad Commission race after French called for former President Barack Obama to be lynched and made racist comments against Indian-Americans at the University of Texas.

In the letter to the Board of the Texas Young Republicans Federation, which she also resigned from Saturday, Shepheard wrote that she “stands by” what she told The Atlantic.

She acknowledged the Federation’s constitution bars board members from publicly stating an intention to vote for a non-Republican candidate in a partisan race. She said she wasn’t aware of the provision beforehand but “fully acknowledge[s] and respect[s]” it now. She said stepping aside is “the right thing to do for the organization” and would let her club keep a full voting voice on the board.

She called the decision one she “struggled with” but said she could not “in good conscience” set aside her principles, which she described as limited government, free speech and “the belief that character matters in those we elect.” She said she has spent years working to elect Republicans.

“I remain a Republican, and I do so without fear or shame,” she wrote, adding that she hopes the party can become a place where members whose conscience leads them to a different choice in a particular race “are met with understanding rather than pressure to stay silent.”

Shepheard said she will help with a smooth transition, including handing over club records, accounts and contacts. The letter doesn’t name the candidate or race at issue, and it doesn’t include a response from the Federation.